an irish online game retailer?

deadduck

i'm in a position where i would be able to buy in ds and psp games (and gba) in bulk and do them for decent prices, less than play and cdwow for instance. my only problem is do you think irish people would buy from me, considering how well established the above two companies are. I would have the advantages of lower prices and quicker postage, but would that be enough? please vote and and add a comment

Hugh Hefner

As long as your operation looked professional and all that then I don't see why not. Go for it.

super_furry

I reckon there's definately a gap in the market for an Irish based online games shop. I'd definately order if the prices were right.

elcabron

Aye, go for it.

deadduck

nice one for the feedback so far, looking very positive. @ hugh hefner: the site would be simple and clear, with as little clutter as possible. wanna make things as handy as possible. keep the opinions coming though, can never have too much advice

Zhane

I suppose it will also be good for different payment methods, like cheque, credit card, direct debit or something

yawnstretch

Yeah, make it look as professional as possible, keep your prices decent and remember the golden rule of internet purchasing - be really nice to the customer as all it takes is one criticism, on one forum anywhere on the net for someone googling your company to change their mind about buying from you.

I always google for negative words and a company when sussing them out for the first time.

deadduck

i'll take payment by paypal, money order, postal order, credit transfer, etc. pretty much everything bar cash. credit cards could be used through paypal, so i think thats enough to keep people happy

deadduck

i hope to have it simple and professional. since i'll only be dealing with handhelds, it won't have to be on the scale of anything like lik-sang, play etc. but i take your point, it will have to look professional or some people will get the wrong idea. customer service shouldn't be a problem, emails will be replied to swiftly, always within 24hours. an email will be sent to confirm order and another to confirm postage and payment

Rabies

If you do set up this business advertise here. Play, CDwow, sendit and a few others get loads of business from here. There is no reason why we shouldn't shop with an Irish company if the prices are better and delivery is quicker.

RobertFoster

So long as you're cheaper + free shipping, then I'd buy from you.

Paypal might turn a few off though.

kippy

I would definetly buy if you were cheaper/the same or even slightly dearer as long as the postage was less which I would assume would be the case.
I do have a few things that I think you may need to think about further.
Have you any background in setting up a business? Have you thought about what suppliers you are going to use and your purchasing costs? Have you you thought of who is doing to design/host/the site and looked into the costs associated with setting up a secure online store?Have you researched a base from which to run this from and have you the cash to start up? If not-have you put together a business plan for the banks?
Sorry about the stupid questions,I realise that at the moment you are just checking for interest and market need for such a service but its important to keep all the issues in mind at this stage.
Kippy

deadduck

@RobertFoster: why do you think paypal would turn people off?

Placebo

im up for it !

Mossy Monk

deadduck wrote:

@RobertFoster: why do you think paypal would turn people off?

for starters how does paypal work?

deadduck

point taken mossy, i'll make sure i've an explanation on the site and a link to paypals registration page

Stephen

Taking paypal but not proper direct credit card sales looks unprofessional. Plus paypal takes a hefty cut. I don't know the ins and outs of setting up a proper merchant account and online credit card processing, but it sounds expensive :eek:

shortys94

glad to see someone is grasping this oppurtunity, was going to myself, this would be great as long as highly anticipated stock will be delivered to your premises fast, example gta lcs, nothing worse than preordering and not getting tilll a few weeks after release, o and support is vital:)
keep me updated, will this be a reality soon?

Sarsfield

Have you considered the whole 'business' side of the operation? Accounting, tax, continuity of supply, etc. You don't just have to look professional, you have to be professional.

I don't think it's all that easy to set up a merchant account for processing cc transactions. Not with Irish banks anyway!

It sounds like a good idea if you can maintain a good supply of product into the future, but it's not just a matter of getting your hands on some cheap stock. just be careful to think it through. Good luck if you decide to go for it.

Alternatively opt for ebay/paypal and hand a big chunk of your profits to them

mp3guy

oh, and nothing illegal, right?

deadduck

thanks for all the advice people. with 90% positive feedback i'm fairly sure i'm gonna get this off the ground. as for paypal taking a cut of my profits, to be honest, i'm not too pushed. that way i don't have to worry about peoples credit card security, and i don't have the hassle of setting up a merchants a/c. as stephen already said, apparently it's a hassle with irish banks. i know someone who has been running his own successful business for 20 years and he said hed help me on anything i wasn't too sure about. i'll keep the thread going to keep everyone posted. thanks again for the help and keep it coming

Mossy Monk

i look forward to seeing this when it gets going

cosgrove80

To be honest if a site would only accept Paypal and not credit cards directly I wouldnt use it. Just seems unprofessional.

You'd be surprised how many potential customers won't know, or care to find out, what Paypal is.

If you are a registered company a merchant account isnt too much hassle.

Have a look at http://www.realex.ie/ . They set up merchant accounts (as I understand it) and take care of security and verification etc with regards to credit cards. Not sure of costs.

Best of luck with it.

deadduck

the beauty of paypal is that an a/c isnt needed to pay by c/c. i understand what your saying. i have shopped on lik-sang and play and their payment systems are very good, very hassle-free. but for a small share of my profits i have a good system, and this in turn helps keeps my prices where i want them i.e. lower than the competitons. maybe in time i could implement a system like you have described. hopefully you'll have a browse anyway cosgrove. thanks for the post.

philologos

whatever you do dont make it aimed just towards ireland you should offer competitive prices to all the world. By the way would you beat the prices at play.com (brilliant service from the channel islands)?

deadduck

initially my efforts will be focused on ireland. thats not to say i would turn away orders from abroad, of course not, but i will not be actively marketing for the abroad market. and yes, i will be cheaper than play, cdwow etc. and postage and packaging will be free too.

tman

would definitely make a couple of purchases myself

l3rian

is this going to be a 1 man operation?

online buyers are merciless complainers

you may need a gimmick of some sorts

deadduck

i have been thinking about some kind of special introductory offer, but haven't settled on anything yet. might not be a great idea from a business idea, my profits aren't gonna be too great to begin with. it ain't gonna be easy to compete with the big boys, and low prices and quick postage and what i'm all about. hopefully it wont be necessary, but i'll decide in the near future

l3rian

Good luck ducky, low prices and quick postage are like the holy grail of online retailing, even the big boys cant get it right

shortys94

any idea when this site will be up and running?

deadduck

hopefully within the month, i'll keep you all posted on this thread

shortys94

an ychance of us import ps2 games too? alot of people have modded consoles, i cant wait to see ure range of psp games and prices

deadduck

i think i'll wait for the next gen of consoles before i make a decision on whether i'll stock games for them or not. for the moment i'll be focusing on handhelds. but if i get enough interest i'll check it out

Headshot

would you consider doing pc games

theirs brilliant pc games coming out soon Black and white 2 and fear etc

i hope deadduck this business goes well for you

i hate ordering stuff in england
so if you decide to do the next generation console games ill buy the games off you for sure

deadduck

another vote for the next gen consoles, keep em coming and i'll have a serious look at it. as for pc games, unlikely. prices drop too fast, too high a chance of getting stung with expensive stock. handhelds and consoles are a much safer bet

deadduck

looks like my plans have hit the rocks in a big way. when i weighed up everything against play, i simply can't compete, my profits would only be a couple of euro a game. i don't know if its cos jersey, where play are based, dont charge tax or something, but i cant match them. just want to say thanks to everyone who voted and posted here, some very encouraging stuff as well as some sound advice. maybe someone else in ireland might be able to have a crack at it, and best of luck to them. i'll certainly buy off them anyway. thanks again everyone

ShiverinEskimo

Plays profits are huge because they buy in MASSIVE bulk. Jersey helps because of lower (or even non-existent) corporation tax...

Unlucky man, I would have been well interested..